The Romances and Gothic Horrors of V.C. Andrews.
How I work is: I tell you the general information then I give you, what I see, as the good and the bad.
Andrews’ books are very similar and she has had such a large following, I decided to write about her works as a whole.
Warning: there may be spoilers. V.C. Andrews has always been a favorite of mine since high school.
I think what made me fall in love with her books is the fact that the lives of her characters make me appreciate mine. I remember reading her first book and my jaw was hanging open most of the time.
I feel that Andrews invented shock value, with her characters suffering the perils of physical, mental and sexual abuse, murderers, dark family secrets and the huge taboo of incest. With that, I either drew your attention or made you want to go into the fetal position.
Sexual activity in her books is kept to a small paragraph and she doesn’t get graphic. Of course, I think what’s considered graphic is an entirely up to the reader.
Each character’s life is like a guy throwing up on the tilt-o-whirl, messy and hard to clean up. Every time something bright and positive happens there is some dark tragedy that befalls them.
In Andrews’ book “Ruby,” the main character’s name is shared with the title.
She lives a simple but happy life. Sounds very ‘southern little house on the prairie,’ I know. That all changes when Ruby’s grandmother passed away.
Ruby learns her boyfriend is actually her half-brother and her alcoholic grandfather tries to sell her into marrying a man who is twice her age and has the decency of a horny squirrel. Not to mention the table manners of a troll.
You can see where I am going with this in the tragedy department. Sorry to say that’s not all that befalls sweet naïve Ruby. You’ll have to read on your own to find out, though.
However, it’s funny to note that Andrews’ characters do ask in their usual narrative: why does tragedy always befall them? There is definitely a visible pattern. I can say that all the heroines of this book are strong individuals, despite their issues and dilemmas.
There’s usually a handsome wealthy boy who sweeps the heroine off of her feet and they have a wonderful love affair.
It’s a good element for those who like a little romance. However, like I said before, there are a few incest ones.
Andrews died five years into her career from cancer, so she has had a ghostwriter from the mid 1980s to the present.
This brought out a change of pace and few of Andrews’ ghostwriter’s later books deal with girls who each dealt with their own issues.
The girls then join forces, working together to stop a common enemy, so there is a change of pace.
Lastly in the generality of this book, are the villains.
Andrews’ villains are crazier than die-hard Black Friday shoppers.
They are all mentally unstable and utterly ruthless to the main character.
What makes them so terrifying is in most books, the villain is a family member, which makes the pain of the main character worse.
Olivia Foxworth is the main villain of “Flowers In the Attic.”
She is a religious fanatic who starves her grandchildren and beats them in a very graphic scene.
Andrew’s ingeniously perverse twist to this matronly role makes her a ruthless tyrannical monster. All I can say is: step aside professor Umbridge.
The Good: What I like personally about Andrews’ book is the first person narrative. You can really see character development and get more emotion out of the interactions they have. Andrews is very big on imagery.
She takes time to describe the places her characters are and doesn’t shy away from describing other characters in detail.
You get an excellent picture in your head. Sentences don’t drag on so you won’t lose interest. Dialogue is very realistic and appropriate for each character.
Keep in mind the books—especially the early ones—take place in the 60s and 70s, so some of the lingo is very out dated but charming in a vintage way.
The characters evolve and change, especially due to the fact most of Andrews’ books are five book family sagas.
It’s best to not hold any character, even the protagonist, up on a pedestal.
You may be disappointed. I think this is a good thing because the characters are more realistic and feel more human.
The Bad: Each story to its core is unique and different however, the framework is the same.
All the protagonists are young girls who face diversity. The last two books are about the main character’s daughter, with the prequel being the final book.
This is the case for most books but not all. It is a small thing but many people do not like this kind of repetition from any writer unless it is the genres. The beginnings can drag on slightly before the action can begin but this could be seen as some as a pre-show for the main event.
All in all, V.C. Andrews and her ghostwriter are very talented and weaving a good story.
Yes, some need more patience than others, but they are always engaging and keep you guessing.
Nick Bundarin can be contacted at
nicholas.bundarin@ksc.keene.edu